The Lady and her Vampire
by Eyes on the Sky
Summary: Bella is the princess of a large kingdom, and is about to turn seventeen. With that age comes marriage, and for Bella, many adventures too... what will happen? BxE, RxEm, AxJ, T for later chapters
1. Apple Pies and Morning Chats

**The Lady and her Vampire**

**Word count of chapter: **4600

**Summary: **Alexonia is a kingdom in a far away world, where kings and queens rule the earth. Isabella Marie Swan is the crown princess of Alexonia, living in the castle in the kingdom's capital city, Marilen. Her whole life is being dictated by her parents, the nobles in and around the castle and the rules of the royal family. But Isabella, or _Bella_, is a free spirit, and doesn't like to be told who to be. Every now and then, she sneaks out to the city. One day, after sneaking out of the royal grounds, she meets a handsome young man. From that moment her life is turned around. Her parents push her to find a husband and plan certain events, the ancient legends of her kingdom come to live again and there are threats coming from everywhere. The most surprising thing—at least for Bella—is that she is the only one who can solve the trouble. But she has no need to worry, for friends are there to help.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight, it's characters, and it's storyline belong to Stephanie Meyer. _This_ storyline, however, belongs to me.

_**Have fun reading and please review when ready. It's the only way I (and the story) can get better!**_

_**Bella's Point of View**_

The morning bells hadn't chimed yet as I quietly made my way through the laundry room. It was too early for anyone to be there—for they would most likely be in the kitchens at that hour—and therefore it was the perfect escape-route from the castle. With my breath held, I carefully opened the door towards the gardens and slipped out. The fear of being caught had completely left me when I ran towards the stables were a few hundred meters away. Destiny had obviously heard me coming as the sound of her morning greeting reached me from inside the massive shed. A soft laugh escaped my lips as I opened the door and entered. Luckily enough, I didn't need a torch to see inside, for there were enough windows and the sun rose very early.

"Good morning, Destiny! Ready for a ride?" I asked the beautiful black horse cheerfully as I patted her neck. She whinnied and shook her long dark manes. "I take that as a yes! Now let me brush you up and get you ready, so that we can go." I took the brushes and started to work on my favourite mare, preparing her for a ride to the city. It was something that I usually did once a week on different days, so I wouldn't be caught by my parents or the royal guard.

The stress that seemed to inhabit the castle could drive one crazy, especially if it was expected from you to be perfect at all times. Off course I knew that I was living the dream of many girls, however, I had never asked for any of it. But no one seemed to mind that, for I was still Isabella Marie Swan, the crown princess of Alexonia. And at that moment, it was time for the princess to run away again, even if just for a few hours.

After I was finished with saddling Destiny, I guided her towards the forest and mounted her gracefully, as would be expected from a princess. The only difference, though, was that I sat astride, instead of sideways-on, which was considered highly inappropriate for a Lady, especially for the future Queen of the nation. But I didn't mind that. I was my own person, and I had the right to do as I wished. It's not that I would do anything that would have a negative effect anyone, and therefore I saw no harm in doing what I wanted to do. Without throwing a single glance back to the castle, Destiny and I rushed through the dark green woods.

There was a large wall surrounding the Royal grounds, and it was almost impossible to pass, except for me. I happened to know of a small hill that was situated very close to the border-wall, this was accompanied by another small hill on the other side of the wall, about a hundred meters to the left. Destiny was well trained and an exceptionally strong horse, this was why, when I encouraged her speed more at the top of the first hill, she was able to jump on top of the wall. The space where the guards usually did their rounds allowed a horse to roam the wall as well. Automatically, Destiny made her way to the left and jumped off on top of the second hill again. _A piece of cake_, I thought with a smirk when her hooves hit the soft grass.

"Well done," I whispered in her ear while leaning forward and patting her neck. "Let's head down to the bakery, I'm hungry!" My stomach growled as a response to my directions . _I do hope that everybody's awake, it is quite early_… It was around six in the morning, which was too early for any sane person to wake up—in my opinion—, but it was only that early that I could leave the Royal grounds without being caught. _Well, there's a price for everything, I guess_, I though grimly.

After a few minutes of fast galloping the small bridge to the middle part of Marilen came into view. Marilen was—next to being one of the largest and liveliest cities—the capital city of Alexonia. Whenever I could, I would sneak out to roam through the busy streets of the main part of Marilen. I loved how all the citizens treated me as one of them when I talked to them through the day. Although it was understandable, for I made sure that I was always in disguise. I hadn't been presented as the Crown Princess of Alexonia in public yet, which was why no one recognized me on the street. I smiled as I heard Destiny's hooves clacking on the bridge's stones.

"Ho… slow down, honey," I exclaimed and the rhythm of the clacking slowed immediately. "Let's get some breakfast." The store that I had in mind wasn't far from the bridge and it took us only around the two minutes to get there. The place was far away from the antics of the city's middle, but anyone who knew the Marilen good enough—and after all those sneak-outs I was one of those people—knew that it was the best bakery around. A small bell rung as I entered the shop, leaving Destiny outside to wait for me.

"Good morning!" a warm voice called from the back of the room. "I'll be right there, just a minute!" I laughed and decided to look around in the mean time. But the woman didn't give me much time as she hurried in my direction to greet her customer. She was covered in flour which seemed to fly in all directions as she skipped towards me. "Welcome, welcome!" she said and smiled at me. Her good mood was infectious and forced me to smile back.

"Hello ma'am, how are you this fine morning?" I greeted her politely.

"Very well, very well. Such a polite young lady! Please tell me, what can I help you with?"

"Well, you see… I haven't had breakfast today, and I was hoping that I could buy some here," I tried to say through the loud grumbling of my stomach. Immediately my cheeks coloured cherry-red and my hand shot to the noisy area. The lady laughed out loud at my embarrassment and nodded at me.

"Off course! Actually, I've just finished making an apple pie, would you care to try?" she asked me and I nodded enthusiastically. "Good, good! Come, I'll give you a piece," she said before walking towards a small door in the back of the room.

While I followed her I inhaled deeply, smelling the fresh pie. I moaned softly and walked through the door. It was a small and very cosy kitchen, obviously not the one she used to make the pastry she sold.

"Please feel free to sit down while I serve you a piece of my famous apple pie," she said, making it sound like she was announcing a newly discovered magic potion, instead of merely a delicious pie. With a low chuckle I did as I was told and watched her serve my breakfast. The pie was absolutely mouth-watering as it lay in front of me. "Go ahead," she said with a small smile as she took the seat in front of me.

"Thank you, ma'am!" I quickly said and took a small and careful bite of the pie, an action that had come out of my strict education. I moaned again with closed eyes as I tasted the dough and the apples in on my tongue. "This is extraordinarily scrumptious!" I said, even surprising myself with my choice of words. "I- I mean, it tastes really, _really_ good," I stuttered as I tried to talk in a more common manner. The woman smiled and nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, I'm very glad you like it! Would it be rude to ask for your name?" _Oh no, I totally forgot!_

"Off course you can ask for my name, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself in the first place! My name is Bella, nice to meet you," I answered hastily and made an embarrassed curtsy.

"Don't you worry, dear. It is indeed a great pleasure to meet such a sophisticated young la—"

"Mrs. Bodley!" a velvet men's voice shouted from the first room. I couldn't help but let my heart flutter at the sound. "Am I smelling apple pie? You did save a piece for me right?" The woman—or 'Mrs. Bodley'— produced a warm sound that resembled a giggle at the excited voice of the man.

"Ah, Edward. Just in time! I have someone you should meet, she is quite enjoying the apple pie herself!" she called back and as her last word rang through the air a god walked through the door. Yes, correct. A god. This 'Edward' had the most amazing bronze hair; it was extremely messed up but so modelled at the same time. His eyes were striking, to say the least. They looked like endless golden pools that I would so gladly get lost in. I was astonished by the contrast they made with his dark, long lashes and his perfect pale skin. Through his casual shirt—that hung quite tightly to his upper body—you could see the muscles move and contract as he entered the room. I was speechless, and the princess of Alexonia was _never_ at loss of words. _Edward_, I though, trying the name in my mind. _Edward, what a beautiful name_.

"This young lady over here, Edward, dear, is _Bella_. She just came in to have some breakfast. I think the two of you are of the same age, am I correct?" Mrs. Eve was smiling the whole time as she introduced me to him. Apparently she thought that we would be a good match—judging by the way she raised her eyebrows suggestively throughout her sentence—, but I knew for a fact that this Edward was too good for me. It was something you could sense, when you're being in the same room as a person you'd know when he was a hundred-and-ten times better than you. And in that moment, I knew that Edward was one of those persons.

The golden eyes found mine and widened slightly, probably surprised to find another guest at such an early hour. I was taken aback when he held out his hand and smiled, waiting for a reaction. My mind was too occupied with processing all of his actions—although there weren't too many, they still filled all of my thoughts—to come with a immediate reaction. When I got myself together again, I raised my hand and placed it in his—which was surprisingly cold, but instead of making me flinch, it just send pleasant shivers down my spine—, shaking it like I'd seen other commoners do.

"Hello, Bella. My name is Edward, it's a pleasure to meet you," he spoke and turned our hands horizontally, before bringing them up. I felt his lips press softly against the back of my hand and my heartbeat went up twenty times. I was almost afraid that it would pop out of my chest. I felt the lips that were still against my skin curl up in a smile before he gently let my hand go again. "How do you like the pie?" _Pie? What pie— Oh! Yeah, right. Pie!_

"It is absolutely delicious. I think that it's the best I've ever had," I said and Mrs. Bodley smiled at my complements.

"Oh, thank you my dear! Would you like another piece?" she asked in return.

"As much as I want to," I said while putting my hands on my stomach. "I'd have to decline, I'm sorry. I still need to fit in my dresses, or else my mother would literally kill me!" Edward frowned at my comment and looked down. _What did I say?_ In perfect timing, Edward explained his expression.

"I hadn't thought you were a girl that cared so deeply about her appearance," he muttered, still looking at the kitchen floor. I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud at his comment. Me? Caring about my appearance? What a joke!

"I don't actually, and that is much to my mother's and my best friends' dismay. My mother has always told me that appearance is one of the most important things, but somehow I can't bring myself to care about it. My two best friends are both fashion-addicts, which means that they force me into clothing that would fit a doll, and they do this _every day_. If I don't fit in those clothes anymore, I don't think that they would be very happy. And although I absolutely hate it when they play dress-up with me, I don't like to see them unhappy," I explained, and judging by Edward's breathtaking crooked smile, I had said the right thing.

While Edward ate a piece of pie himself, we spoke of a million-and-one subjects. It was the most interesting and worth-while conversation I had had with anyone outside of Alice and Rosalie for a long time. The only persons who seemed to have anything useful to say were in the castle were my two best friends, but outside the castle, Edward was in my top-three of best conservationists.

After an hour I learned that he had two brothers, Jasper and Emmett, who were his age. The three brothers had been adopted a long time ago, but they thought of each other as their biological siblings. Edward had been coming to Mrs. Bodley for breakfast for over a year now; he had obviously grown fund of the old woman. His life was so interesting, compared to mine, that it was fascinating. You'd think that a princess would have an exciting life, but nothing was less true. Without Alice and Rosalie it would be as dull as the life of a prisoner. It felt like we had talked for hours, before we heard the clocks announce the noon.

"Oh, no! Destiny!" I exclaimed while jumping up from the wooden chair. Quickly, I grabbed the money pouch and threw five golden coins on the table. "Thank you for the apple pie, and for the wonderful afternoon. I completely forgot that I had to be back before ten o'clock, or that my horse is outside waiting for my return. Have a good day!" I told them and turned around with a little wave.

"Wait, Bella!" Edward yelled after me and I stopped dead in my tracks. How could the boy have such an impact on me? "Will you come here again?" I turned around and looked him in the eyes, wondering if it was hope that I saw in his expression.

"Would you want me to?" I asked, unsure of the answer. Edward nodded and took another step towards me.

"Yes, I do want to see you again." He sounded so sure of himself...

"I'll try my hardest to come here again. But, as much as I would want to, I can't guarantee my return. I'm sorry," I said, the sorrow lightly noticeably in my voice, even though I tried to cover it up. Edward smiled and nodded again before taking the final steps towards me and taking my hand.

"The simple fact that you want to come back, and that you'll try, my lady, is enough to keep me happy," he said and kissed my hand before adding in a low voice, "for now."

_That boy is going to be the death of me, _ I thought as I smiled one last time and left the store, leaving him standing in the middle of the room.

**Edward's Point of View**

"See you guys later," I said over my shoulder as I walked through the massive front door. I knew that I didn't need to shout it, as my brothers could hear even the smallest sound with their enhanced hearing.

"Fine, but once you're back we'll have a rematch! Bye Eddie-kins!" Apparently Emmett _did_ find the need to shout, for his voice echoed through the whole gigantic mansion. I growled at the nickname I hated so much before taking off running. The little bakery that I was about to visit was in the outer rings of Marilen, hidden in one of the small streets. The old woman that owned the store, Mrs. Bodley, had always been very warm and I had come to enjoy her company immensely. And other than that, her apple pie was great!

My extraordinary fast running shortened the journey that would take any other human approximately two hours, to a run of five minutes. I was the fastest vampire that my family and I knew about. Esme, my mother for all intends and purposes, considered that one of my gifts, next to the mindreading. I could read every single mind in a radius of around the nineteen miles.

Humans were such shallow creatures, that their minds were only filled with money, sexual related thoughts and—mostly in the case of men—food. Women, on the other hand, thought primarily thought about their appearances. It annoyed me greatly that I had to hear every single thought in their superficial minds. Especially when those thoughts were about me or my family. I knew that we were extraordinarily beautiful to humans, but that didn't give them the right to think such perverse fantasies about us. Well, there was nothing I could do about it.

When I reached the shop, I saw a beautiful black mare standing next to the door. _Apparently Mrs. Bodley has another visitor, _I thought as I inhaled deeply, taking in all of the different scents around. The delicious smell of apple pie reached my and I smiled at the thought.

As I had already mentioned, the Cullen family is made out of vampires. Special ones, I might add, for we didn't drink the blood of humans, but fed off of animals instead. 'Vegetarians' was what we called ourselves.

Together with the blood-drinking and our immense beauty, my family used to _glitter _when exposed to the sun, and we weren't able to consume any human nourishments either. But due to a discovery my father—Aka: Doctor Carlisle to other humans—made while studying the power of herbs, the glittering had been reduced to a breathtaking increase of attractiveness when touched by sunlight.

My family also gained the ability to eat and drink again, which allowed us to live more comfortable between humans. Ever since I could eat again, Mrs. Bodley's apple pie had been my favourite food.

As I inhaled further, I smelled a delicious mix of freesias and strawberries. At first I thought that Mrs. Bodley had made a strange—but good—smelling strawberry cake, but then I realized that it was the scent of a human. A girl, to be exact.

"Thank you, I'm very glad you like it! Would it be rude to ask for your name?" I heard Mrs. Bodley say from the back kitchen.

"Off course you can ask for my name, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself in the first place! My name is Bella, nice to meet you," a beautiful soft voice answered hastily, creating a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. A look inside Mrs. Bodley's mind confirmed my theories. It was indeed a girl that she was talking to. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her chocolate hair was tied into a messy bun and her warm brown eyes shone with an innocence that I hadn't seen before in my hundred-and-seventeen years of walking on the earth. Her clothes seemed to belong to a middle class girl, as they looked old and often-used.

"Bella," I whispered, tasting the name on my tongue. It was a beautiful name, and it felt like it belonged on my lips. "Bella." While shaking my head to get rid of her name in my mind, I pushed against the front door and entered the first room.

"Don't you worry, dear. It is indeed a great pleasure to meet such a sophisticated young la—"

"Mrs. Bodley!" I called out, and started to walk to the kitchen. "Am I smelling apple pie? You did save a piece for me right?"

"Ah, Edward. Just in time! I have someone you should meet, she is quite enjoying the apple pie herself!" she called back. _I get to meet her_, was the only thing that rang through my mind. And there she sat, as I walked into the small kitchen. An empty plate was in front of her on the table and her hand were neatly folded on her lap, a posture that didn't really belong to a common girl. I noticed her brown eyes observe me and I involuntarily turned nervous. A vampire _does not_ get nervous. "This young lady over here, Edward, dear, is _Bella_. She just came in to have some breakfast. I think the two of you are of the same age, am I correct?"

It wasn't until that moment, that I realized that I couldn't read Bella's mind. I couldn't hear a single thought, it was a complete silence. Why couldn't I hear her? Although it frustrated me that I couldn't understand the girl through her mind, somehow it also was a welcome change.

Mrs. Bodley, on the other hand, was thinking a _lot_ of things. Varying from, _they would look so cute together_, to, _I hope she really did like the pie. Maybe she was just trying to be polite..._

I held out my hand to the beauty in front of me and Bella put her hand in mine, shaking it with an obvious false confidence.

"Hello, Bella. My name is Edward, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said and lifted her hand to my mouth and did what I wanted to do the whole time that her skin had been touching mine, I kissed it. Her soft skin felt like silk under my lips and it was only when I heard her heart beat a thousand times per second, that I managed to part them from her hand.

Her blood smelled extremely delicious, but since we were able to eat human food, our thirst for blood had lessened considerately. It was easy for me to be so close to a human since that day, and—especially in that moment with Bella—I was very happy for that fact.

"How do you like the pie?" I asked, mentally slapping myself for such a sudden random question. Luckily Bella didn't think too much of it, for she answered after a moment of apparent confusion.

It is absolutely delicious. I think that it's the best I've ever had," she answered with her lovely voice, making Mrs. Bodley smile.

"Oh, thank you my dear! Would you like another piece?" the old woman asked in return.

"As much as I want to," Bella said while putting her hands on her stomach. "I'd have to decline, I'm sorry. I still need to fit in my dresses, or else my mother would literally kill me!" After she finished her sentence, an enormous feeling of disappointment came over me. I had thought that she was different, that she wasn't as shallow as other humans. But I seemed to be wrong.

"I hadn't thought you were a girl that cared so deeply about her appearance," I muttered softly, not looking at her face. To my surprise Bella laughed at my comment, instead of the panic reaction that most girls would have at seeing my disappointment.

"I don't actually, and that is much to my mother's and my best friends' dismay. My mother has always told me that appearance is one of the most important things, but somehow I can't bring myself to care about it. My two best friends are both fashion-addicts, which means that they force me into clothing that would fit a doll, and they do this _every day_. If I don't fit in those clothes anymore, I don't think that they would be very happy. And although I absolutely hate it when they play dress-up with me, I don't like to see them unhappy," she explained and a heavy weight was lifted from my heart. _So she _is _different_, I thought happily and smiled at her. Bella surprised me like no other human or vampire ever had. And even though I desperately wanted to know what was going on in her head, I was happy with the surprise.

As I ate a piece of Mrs. Bodley's apple pie, Bella and I spoke about my family and life. I was disappointed that I couldn't figure out much about her, but when I asked about her story, she got the most panicked reaction. There was something about her family that she didn't want to talk about, and I had to respect that, even though it troubled me that I couldn't figure her out.

I told Bella about my siblings and my parents, which she seemed to genuinely enjoy. But most of all, she liked the funny stories about Emmett's peculiarity, which made her laugh loud and long. I happily obliged to her story-requests as I absolutely loved to hear her laugh. It was a splendid, pure and carefree sound, stunning and calming at the same time. It made the person listening to the sound unable to keep a smile back themselves. It was a long time ago that I had actually laughed that loud, and it wasn't something that I wanted to give up like that. But every good thing has an end, sadly enough. The clock in the middle of the city loudly announced the middle of the day, causing Bella to jump up in shock. _She lost track of time while talking to me_, I thought proudly, before frowning at my manner of thinking. I sounded like a teenage boy.

"Oh, no! Destiny!" Bella exclaimed and threw five golden coins on the table, while the apple pie only cost two bronze coins... How did a girl with those clothes have so much money? She was seriously rich if she could throw with golden coins like that... "Thank you for the apple pie, and for the wonderful afternoon. I completely forgot that I had to be back before ten o'clock, or that my horse is outside waiting for my return. Have a good day!" she yelled hurriedly and turned around with a little wave.

"Wait, Bella!" I yelled before I could stop myself and ran after her. How could that girl have such an impact on me? "Will you come here again?" I asked, sounding almost desperate.

"Would you want me to?" she asked back. _Off course I do!_ I nodded and took another step towards her.

"Yes, I do want to see you again," I said confidently.

"I'll try my hardest to come here again. But, as much as I would want to, I can't guarantee my return. I'm sorry," Bella said, I could detect the suppressed sadness in her voice thanks to my enhanced hearing. I just smiled and nodded again before taking the final steps towards her and taking her hand.

"The simple fact that you want to come back, and that you'll try, my lady, is enough to keep me happy," I said and kissed her hand before thinking about it and adding in a low voice, "for now."

_That girl is going to be the death of me, _ I thought as she smiled and left the store. _Pun intended, off course..._

**The end of chapter 1. **

_Did you like it?_

_No? ------------- then please review and tell me what can be done better!_

_Yes?------------- then please review and tell me what you like! (I'd like that!)_

_Have some ideas?-- then please review and tell me! I can use any help I can get. Then it will be _our_ story!_

_**-Eyes on the sky – (and beyond)**_


	2. The Princess still unknown

**The Lady and her Vampire**

**Word count of chapter (only the real story, not the author parts): 3346**

**Word count of story until now (only the real story, not the author parts): 7946**

**Summary: **Alexonia is a kingdom in a far away world, where kings and queens rule the earth. Isabella Marie Swan is the crown princess of Alexonia, living in the castle in the kingdom's capital city, Marilen. Her whole life is being dictated by her parents, the nobles in and around the castle and the rules of the royal family. But Isabella, or _Bella_, is a free spirit, and doesn't like to be told who to be. Every now and then, she sneaks out to the city. One day, after sneaking out of the royal grounds, she meets a handsome young man. From that moment her life is turned around. Her parents push her to find a husband and plan certain events, the ancient legends of her kingdom come to live again and there are threats coming from everywhere. The most surprising thing—at least for Bella—is that she is the only one who can solve the trouble. But she has no need to worry, for friends are there to help.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight, it's characters, and it's storyline belong to Stephanie Meyer. _This_ storyline, however, belongs to me.

_PS: This chapter is a little smaller, sorry for that. And sorry sorry sorry for the late update. Teenage life really stresses one out! I'll try to find more time to write next chapter quicker! Hope you forgive me.. xx_

_**Have fun reading and please review when ready. It's the only way I (and the story) can get better!**_

**Bella's Point of View**

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Alice yelled as she bounced up and down on the grass, her short, dark hair not moving from its perfect shape. "Was he handsome? Was he smart? Did he kiss you? Did _you _kiss _him_?" I laughed and shook my head. I hadn't even mentioned that I had met a guy, but of course Alice knew about him. Our psychic little pixie...

"A guy? You actually met a guy?" Rosalie asked and sat down next to me on the stone bench in the gardens. From the three of us, Rose was the most collected. She always walked with grace and rarely got as excited as Alice. Although that on itself wasn't so strange, as no one can get as excited as our little pixie.

Rose's beauty was incomparable. She had rich blond hair, filled with soft waves and different shades of gold. Her eyes were a sky blue and they were surrounded by full, dark lashes. Everyone thought that Rosalie was the perfect lady, but if you knew her well enough, you'd see that she's even better. Her main interest were horse races and getting into fights, something that made her unique in a fantastic way… To _us_, at least.

The petite Alice was beautiful as well, but in different ways than Rosalie. Her beauty was more in the small details, while Rose's was in the complete picture. Alice's eyes were a stunning sea green and her whole appearance just screamed out '_perfection'_. Her fashion sense was unrivalled and she always managed to look flawless. Her main hobby was 'perfecting my look', or so she called it. I was forced into dresses daily and my hair was a continuous project in progress for my two best friends. Alice was also very skilled in 'foreseeing the future', and always knew when something was about to happen.

"His name is Edward," I began, the familiar blush already decorating my cheeks. "And I met him at a bakery this morning..." Immediately my best friends screamed.

"So there _was _a boy! I knew it!" Alice said as she kneeled down in front of me. "Tell us about it!"

"He has these amazing gold-coloured eyes, and messy bronze hair. But it looked so soft and shiny..." I trailed off with a sigh. "Oh, and not to forget, his body is the materialization of perfection. Gosh, his muscles! But not too many, just enough... And he is smart too! We talked for hours, and it was so fascinating to hear about his life. We couldn't talk about mine, _of course_, but his was far more interesting anyway..."

"He sounds perfect!" Rose said with a smile. "So you've finally found someone?"

"Maybe," I answered, unsure. "But I don't think that he really likes me. At least not in _that _way." Alice abruptly smacked my leg and glared at me as I said finished my sentence.

"Are you crazy? What boy in his right mind wouldn't like you? I mean, you're the most beautiful of us all, you're the smartest and you're the kindest. What do you want more? Now, don't be so depressed and tell us more about this _Edward_ guy." Even though I knew that she was lying to make me feel better, I appreciated the effort.

"Thanks, Alice. But you guys are definitely more beautiful and kind. Don't think less of yourself than you are."

"Ha! You're one to talk," Rosalie muttered quietly and I just looked at her. _What?_

"Anyway, Edward has two brothers, his age. The three of them were adopted a long time ago. One of them is called Emmett, and the other Jasper."

"Jasper," Alice whispered, as she grew a small smile. "Do you think we could meet them once?" I shrugged in response.

"I wouldn't know, sorry," I said apologetically and her face fell, before changing back into her happy expression again. "You think we will?" I asked her and she nodded her head.

"Yes we will, I'm certain!" Rosalie laughed and shook her head.

"Well, that's good then, isn't it? And there's nothing better than a psychic pixie..." she said and kissed Alice on her cheek. "But we still love you, so don't worry."

"Oh, I never did, honey!" Alice chirped back with a wink. Their little show left me in hysterics, causing them to join me in my laughing soon after.

"Edward told me that Jasper has always been the calm one. He has this gift with which he can understand other's emotions very well. He also likes reading about the ancient wars of our Kingdom. You know, the stories about the chosen girl and the war between Alexonia and Erona. The old legends of our Kingdom, those kind of things..."

"Ah, yes, I remember those stories. I used to love them when I was little. For once a girl was the hero of a story!" Alice said, leaving Rosalie confused.

"What story? I don't remember," she said, not even a little embarrassed. I smiled at her and took a deep breath.

"Very long ago, when our Kingdom was still named differently every time a different King ruled, there lived a girl around our age. Her name was Alexis, and they say that her beauty was indescribable. Alexonia, as it is known nowadays, was under the rule of King Cedric, which named the Kingdom Cedronia, but that is another matter.

"The King of the neighbouring country, Erona, had found this magic relic—which I believe to be a necklace—that granted him the power that he needed to take over _Cedronia_. There was a long fight and our Kingdom was losing. King Cedric wasn't capable of saving his country, and the people turned to the only other option.

"See, there was this prophecy, a long time ago, that a hero would rise in our Kingdom's greatest time of need. All young men were called for, but none of them seemed to be the chosen one. The one that the prophecy was talking about, would make the holy water in the castle turn a deep red, but none of the young men had this effect on the water.

"Alexis had just gotten a job in the castle as a maid, and happened to walk past the bowl with the holy water one day, turning its colour to crimson. She was the chosen one. Together with five of her closest friends, she managed to obtain the book that she needed to defeat the King of Erona. The Soul's words, was the title that was printed in golden letters on the book's cover. With the book and her friends, she sneaked into the castle of Erona and somehow stole the necklace of the King. Cedronia was saved, just like that, although I think that there's a lot more to the story than it says in the mythology books in the library...

"Anyway, Alexis died the day she obtained the necklace. She sacrificed her life for the people of her Kingdom. Because, although she was no Princess, it was still _her _Kingdom, for in their hearts, the people of Cedronia belonged to her. Therefore they named the Kingdom Alexonia, after the woman that saved them all.

"It is also said that, a month before she died, she gave birth to a daughter. Her lover was one of the five friends that joined her in her quest, his name was Davian, Davian Swan. He became the next King of Alexonia, and his daughter the Queen. It is said that we are descendants of Alexis and Davian, us the Royal Family, I mean. But who knows, it is said to be just a story, although something tells me it is more than that, more than a mere legend...

"So, do you remember now?" I asked, realizing that I got carried away while telling the story. Rosalie nodded and smiled at me.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, and her mouth opened as though she wanted to say more, but it closed again when she was interrupted by a black-haired boy.

"Excuse me, my Lady?" he asked nervously and bowed for me.

"What can I help you with?" I answered and smiled at the poor boy. He visibly relaxed and smiled back.

"The King and the Queen have requested that you join them in the King's study, your highness. I have been send to escort you there." I sighed and nodded before standing up. –'_What would they want to talk to me about?'-_

"Excuse me, will I see you later?" I asked my friends, who inclined their heads in respect, as we had to keep up _some _of the formal social-rules in front of others.

"Of course, but make sure you tell us what happened!" Alice said as I walked away with the boy. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her.

"In my room!" was the last thing I yelled before the doors of the castle closed behind us.

"We've arrived," the boy said politely after a while as we stopped in front of the study's white door. I nodded and thanked him for escorting me before lightly knocking on the door.

"Come in," Charlie, my father, said from inside the room. "It's open." I turned the door-latch and entered the beautiful room that Charlie called his study. "Good day, Bella."

"Very good day, indeed. Was there something you needed to talk to me about?" I asked him as I took a seat in front of his desk. Mom was standing next to my father at the window, watching me with apprehension. Immediately I realized that whatever they wanted to tell me, wasn't something I would like. I sighed. "What is it?"

"Isabella, next month—"

"Bella," I subconsciously corrected, I had always hated to be called by my full name. Charlie sighed and leaned forward on the desk.

"Bella," he copied. "Next month you'll turn seventeen, and your mother and I have decided that it's time for you to choose a husband." -'_A husband... Wait! What?!'-_

"A husband? Are you completely out of—" I started to yell but my father interrupted me angrily.

"Isabella Marie Swan, watch your language!"

"But I'm too young to marry. And I don't _want_ to marry yet! You can't do this to me!" I continued, jumping up and throwing my hands in the air.

"Bells, you don't have to marry _tomorrow_. We're just asKing you to go look for a suitable husband. Being engaged would be enough. You can marry later," mom said, trying to calm me down. -'_I have to _search _for a husband, not actually _get _one..'-._ that thought actually made me smile.

"Okay, I'll pay attention in the coming months. If I see a nice guy, I'll tell you," I said and was about to turn around when Charlie coughed to get my attention. With a sigh I sat back down.

"To help you, there is going to be a ball for your birthday, and your mother will make sure that there are plenty of excellent young men present. Next to that, you will be presented to the Kingdom in five days." -'_Five days'-_, I repeated in my mind, -'_only five days. After that, I won't be able to be normal anywhere. They'd recognize me.'- _My short escapes would disappear, because everyone outside of the castle would know me as the crown Princess as well.

"Edward!" I suddenly gasped quietly. He would know who I was too!

"Edward? Who is that?" my mother asked curiously, her eyebrows raised.

"Edward? Uh— I- I don't know... I said _awkward_. Everyone who didn't know I was a Princess, will know now... wouldn't that be _awkward_?" I tried to save myself, but even I had to admit that it was a terrible lie. Charlie and mom obviously thought so too, but they let it slide.

"Bella, this is final. You can go now," Charlie declared and nodded at the door. I sighed angrily and did a mock-curtsy.

"Of course, milord. Have a _nice_ day!" While leaving the room, I made sure to slam the door as hard as I could. –'_Marriage, yeah right!'-_

A few hours had passed since I had joined Rose and Alice in my room. Their reactions didn't quite resemble mine.

"A ball! I already have the perfect dress in mind! Rose, remember that army green gown of mine?" Alice chattered, Rosalie nodded.

"Yes, the one with the gold threads... right? I loved that one, but you never wore it!"

"I saved it for a special occasion, silly! And this is it, I feel it! I also have these awesome designs I made for you guys. Gold being the details that us three will have in common. It will be great!" Alice said while jumping up and down on my bed. I laughed at her and shook my head. Leave it to Alice to make me feel better about my life.

"Do you think they'll be ready in time?" I asked, making her roll her eyes.

"You still don't know that Alice can make dresses in a day's time? And her I go, thinking that you're our friend..." Rose trailed off, trying to look disappointed.

"Yeah, I know, I know. I guess you're right. My apologies, Lady Alice," I said and inclined my head at her.

"Apology accepted, your highness," Alice replied, sounding too stern for us to take her serious. "But to make it up to me completely, you have to let me make your presentation dress too! It's the first time that you'll be shown to the Kingdom, and I want to make sure that you look stunning!" I sighed and nodded.

"Sure, Alice." It wasn't as if she would take 'no' for an answer anyway. Alice patted my head and squeezed my cheek.

"That's my girl! What a good answer, Bella-boo!" she cooed and Rosalie burst out laughing.

"Be—Bella-boo!" she exclaimed between her gasps for air, "Genius!"

"Yeah right, _funny_…"

**Edward's Point of View**

"Go annoy someone else!" I sharply told my dear brother.

A day had passed since I had seen Bella, but I couldn't rid her from my mind. Not that I wanted to, anyway, for she had the ability to calm me, even when I only _thought_ about her. That morning I had gone to visit Mrs. Eve another time, mostly because I hoped to see Bella again. But no luck.

"Aw! Does our little Eddie have a foul mood today?"

"Shut _up_, Emmett!" I yelled back. My mood had indeed worsened because I hadn't seen Bella that day, but I was nowhere _near_ the point of telling _Emmett_ of all people.

"Emmett, I suggest you stop. I have the feeling that Edward is about to rip your head off if you continue," Jasper intervened and made me calm down. -'_Now, Edward. What's on your mind?'-_ he thought and I shrugged.

"Nothing's going on, so don't worry. Let's go, you know how Esme gets when we are too late for dinner," I answered dryly and ran downstairs.

_-'I won't push you if you don't want to tell me, but you know you can talk to me right?'-_ I heard Jasper think and mumbled a "Yeah, I know" when I opened the door to the dining room. Esme was already sitting at the table but Carlisle was nowhere to be seen. I sat down next to my mother and smiled at her, knowing that she was worried about me, her thoughts revealing it all. There was nothing really wrong with me (besides the disappointment of not seeing Bella that day), and that caused me to get annoyed by their reactions. I sighed and put my head in my hands.

"Mom, I'm _fine_!" Esme smiled, as she always loved it when I called her 'mom'. Before she could respond, Carlisle came in and sat on the other side next to his wife, kissing her on the cheek in the process.

_-'Could I ever be like that with Bella?'-_

I groaned and shook my head. I only knew her for _one day_, and I was _already_ thinking about spending my life with her like that? Maybe there _was _something wrong with me… From the other side of the table, I saw Jasper giving me a strange look and knew that he had caught reaction to Esme and Carlisle's little kiss. –'_Why are you feeling… jealous? Your foul mood has something to do with a girl, doesn't it?'- _he thought and I nodded reluctantly. I knew that I could trust Jasper, but was still a little cautious with a subject that I didn't even understand myself.

"Have you already heard the news from the Royal Family?" Carlisle asked as they began their dinner. He continued as everyone looked at him and shook their heads, "The Crown Princess is being presented to the Kingdom in four days."

"Four days? And they haven't announced it until now? That's strange," answered Esme. Carlisle nodded.

"Oh, and there's more. The King wishes for her to be a married woman, for she has reached the appropriate age. Therefore there will be a ball next month, on her seventeenth birthday." I, of course, knew what that meant for us, as Carlisle had been thinking about it for a little while.

"So we have to go? All the noble guys?" I asked, just in case. Carlisle nodded.

"Yes, but the Princess may invite others as well. This is quite uncommon for the Royal Family. For generations long they have insisted on the bloodline staying Royal and Nobel, but here they go, giving her permission to invite commoners. It is said, that the Princess' personality has something to do with that. I've heard that she is quite the _special_ young lady," Carlisle said and took another bite of his meal. Everyone looked at me, questioning silently if I had heard something like that. Because of my gift and my frequent visits to the city, I was the most likely to know something. I nodded and ran my hand through my hair.

"I've heard so as well. They say that her beauty is indescribable and that she has a kind heart, not to forget a bright mind. I've heard them say that she sees almost everyone as equals and is very open to new ideas. A stable hand told his family that she has a secret tendency to get her horse in inhumanly hours in the morning and sneak off into town. All in all, she seems like an almost perfect girl, but people tend to exaggerate," I said with a sigh and leaned back in my chair. Emmett shrugged.

"How'd you know? That girl could really be hot! If everyone's talking 'bout her like that…" he said with his booming voice. "We'll go to that party and I'll blow that girl out of her pretty, expensive high heels." Emmett pumped his fist in the air and made a small jump in his chair. Esme shook her head disapprovingly but couldn't help but giggle. "I mean, c'mon! Jasper makes this depressed impression and Edward is one hell of a moody je—

"Emmett!" Esme scolded.

—guy… So of course she'll pick me! We're all vamps, so we're gorgeous, but my personality is the best. It's all _so_ obvious!" Jasper rolled his eyes as I merely raised my eyebrows.

"Emmett, you'll scare her just by _showing up_," Jasper said slowly, as if explaining math to a toddler. "Don't get your hopes up."

_-'And what about you, Edward? Do _you _want a chance with this _special _Princess?'-_ Esme thought as she gave me warm smile.

_-'She knows!'-_ I realized with a shock.

"I don't want to go. I do not think that I will take an interest in this _Princess_." I stated confidently as Bella's face filled my mind. I smiled as I thought of her beautiful eyes.

"Why?" asked Jasper as he gave me a smile. "You suddenly seem strangely happy and calm. Thinking of something— or maybe _someone_ special?"

I sighed and gave up. –'_Fine!'-_

"I met this girl…"

**The end of ****chapter** **1. **

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_**-Eyes on the sky – (and beyond)**_


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